What occurs when a liquid becomes a solid?

When a liquid transitions into a solid, the process is known as freezing. During freezing, the molecules of the liquid lose energy and begin to arrange themselves into a fixed, orderly structure, commonly forming a crystalline lattice. This change typically occurs at a specific temperature known as the freezing point.

For example, water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) under standard atmospheric conditions. In this phase change, the liquid’s thermal energy decreases, and the movement of the molecules slows down, resulting in a solid state.

Understanding freezing is essential in various practical applications, such as food preservation, understanding weather phenomena like ice formation, and even in industries where specific properties of materials must be controlled.